Kiss of Truth

I marvel at the ignorant stupidity of that intelligent species called mankind. There seems a duality in every corner of the reality of the human condition. We have recorded history and enjoy the wisdom of hindsight, yet we ignore our hard-learned lessons and repeat every mistake; we tend to know what is right, yet we do not always choose it; we can put on a military uniform, enter into combat, kill dozens of other humans, destroying their homes and families, then come home in that same day, stroke the cat, display the gentleness of sensitive understanding to our loved ones, and get on our knees and pray, believing we have done God’s work. We can justify any behavior, yet some actions are punished while others commit the same crimes and are not. We profess happiness in a mal-contented existence. And, for every “composer” in the world, there is a “decomposer”. No, I do not excuse myself. I am guilty by association, yet remain obligated by unspoken forces to participate in the fabric of society. To tear this cloth, attack the status quo relentlessly, or divorce myself entirely – even if it may be ultimately correct in the scheme of the cosmos – is a sin, punishable by such terms as “crazy”, “lunatic”, “outcast”, whacko”, or “recluse”. I am continually amazed, yet never shocked and surprised. I ride the last car of the coaster, resisting the g-forces, trying each day not to practice hypocrisy, and I watch… speaking only now and again.

March 19th, 2009 | Tags: balance, business, change, destructive, econodude, economy, fear, frustrated, future, giving, hope, ignorance, intelligence, invest, love, nation, prayer, success, technology, thought, unemployed, unemployment, war | Category: Consistent Action, Flexibility, Goal Setting, Mental Preparation, Motivation, Research and Development | Leave a comment

As unemployment rates rise to levels not seen in decades and our nation faces one of the worst economic disasters in its history, one new company pledges to finance the rescue and creation of thousands of jobs across the country. “The EconoDude.com mission is one of hope and integrity for everyone,” says EconoDude founder, Kurt Turrell. “We cannot rely completely on government or a stimulus package to fix our economy and get people back to work.” According to Turrell, it is the responsibility of every person to help. “I heard this news story about a school in Maine that had to cut several jobs due to lack of funds. Everyone on the staff of the school donated one day’s wage and they rescued those cut jobs,” adds Mr. Turrell. Turrell modeled EconoDude with that philanthropic cause at its heart.

March 6th, 2009 | Tags: business, communication, econodude, economic crisis, economy, hope, integrity, jobs, nation, plan, responsibility, success, unemployment | Category: Consistent Action, Flexibility, Goal Setting, Mental Preparation, Motivation, Research and Development | Comments (5)

Unemployment rates in the nation are above 7.6%! That is the highest since the early 70’s. That means that nearly eight out of every 100 people are out of work. That is an astounding number! Each and every day there are more reports of layoffs from the biggest – and seemingly most secure and solid – companies in the United States. And the number of unemployed continues to grow at an alarming pace. And like all accidents and life-changing events, it is not real until it happens to you! It is unwise to believe a layoff cannot happen to you. Be prepared by being proactive in making yourself more valuable to your employer; consider these ten ways to increase the likelihood of keeping your job:

February 9th, 2009 | Tags: challenge, change, education, Flexibility, giving, goals, idea, interests, job loss, job security, keeing your job, keep your job, Motivation, nation, plan, protection, respect, responsibility, success, thought, unemployed, unemployment, value | Category: Consistent Action, Flexibility, Goal Setting, Mental Preparation, Motivation, Research and Development | Leave a comment

Self-honesty is the starting point of all success and abundance. One of the most assured failures I know of is dishonesty. We commonly think of New Year’s Resolutions in terms of weight loss goals, quitting smoking, a better relationship, and so on. In my opinion, you increase your chances of successful resolutions if you toss out what seems to be your obvious needs, and commit yourself (by yourself!) to an annual evaluation – a personal interest survey – and then a goal setting workshop. It is more useful to understand WHY you want changes before resolving WHAT to change. The truth and honesty of your underlying motivation – your real interest or reason why – determines the strength of a resolution and the chances of enjoying success and avoiding a failed resolution.

January 7th, 2009 | Tags: challenge, change, environment, goals, interests, Motivation, New Year, New Year's Resolution, New Year's Resolutions, plan, productive, success | Category: Consistent Action, Flexibility, Goal Setting, Mental Preparation, Motivation, Research and Development | Leave a comment

What they should do that makes sense today is what they should have done in past years that would have made sense! Imagine an American car company in the 1970’s or even the 1980’s deciding to copy the best aspects of Japanese production methods while simultaneously taking the absolute lead in researching, developing, and producing alternative fueled vehicles and hybrids! Imagine that same company launching a media marketing / advertising strategy that produced emotional campaigns to explain to the American public what they are doing and why. Imagine that these ads played on the American consumer’s sense of patriotic American product purchasing and exciting innovation, coupled with voicing a deep concern for the future of our planet and future generations. Wow. I imagine that such a company would be kicking-butt right now. Or, perhaps it would have spurred the other car companies to follow suit! Okay…is it too late to try this? I don’t know for sure, but I hope not.

December 4th, 2008 | Tags: American Automakers, anger, auto industry, auto industry bailout, auto workers, bail out, bailout, business, change, depression, Emotions, future, greed, hope, invest, philosophy, politics, productive, responsibility, risk, value | Category: Consistent Action, Flexibility, Goal Setting, Mental Preparation, Motivation, Research and Development | Comments (1)

For the thirty-plus years of my adult life I have watched, read, and learned – albeit somewhat passively – about our national and world economy, the politics of big business, the exclusive world of money, and how it all fits together to affect each of us. But a few days ago, while watching more economic bad news on the television, my teen looked at me with an inquisitive voice and said: “I don’t understand…if all this is based on confidence, perception of value, and speculation…why are we in this mess and how does it all fit together? Can’t we just print more money?” Oh boy, thought I, where do I start? Explaining the complicated components of the economy – in fact the world of money – and why we are in a recession and our economy is failing is not such a simple task.

November 24th, 2008 | Tags: business, confidence, economy, environment, fear, foundation, greed, hope, ignorance, money, nation, perception, politics, recession, responsibility, success, thought, value | Category: Consistent Action, Flexibility, Mental Preparation, Motivation, Research and Development | Comments (1)

Personally, I have been laid off from my work, unemployment funds are running out and not sufficient to start with, my family is in danger of financial ruin and foreclosure, and my business plans (please see www.turrell-enterprises.com) seem to be without immediate possibility. Times are indeed difficult and stressful. Even so, I cannot quit or panic for too long. I must adjust my goals, keep researching and developing the pathway to those goals, take consistent daily actions, and work at remaining flexible. The sun eventually comes back out!

November 13th, 2008 | Tags: business, challenge, change, demand, economy, Flexibility, goals, hard times, hope, job loss, luck, plan, prayer, recession, success, thought | Category: Consistent Action, Flexibility, Goal Setting, Mental Preparation, Motivation, Research and Development | Leave a comment

What was I going to do now? I was deeply disappointed and discouraged. But I also knew that successful people never give up!

Successful people are flexible! Successful people regroup, seek alternatives, and move positively forward. Successful people are tenacious. In fact, the only thing that successful people are not flexible about is giving up, giving in, or quitting!

October 31st, 2008 | Tags: balance, business, challenge, change, Flexibility, goals, idea, love, owner, plan, productive, service, success | Category: Consistent Action, Flexibility, Goal Setting, Mental Preparation, Motivation, Research and Development | Leave a comment

Most have heard the saying: “Nothing ventured, nothing gained.” Within reason – given proper balance – this statement is absolutely true. Undoubtedly, to venture is to risk. Intrinsically, risk carries with it some degree of fear (of the unknown). When we allow fear to guide our actions, however, we venture less and gain less. Risk is scary indeed, but it gets easier over time; the balance of risk demands practice. To gain takes risk with a degree of balance; the balance piece is discussed momentarily.

October 30th, 2008 | Tags: balance, confidence, economy, fear, perception, plan, risk, success, value | Category: Consistent Action, Flexibility, Goal Setting, Mental Preparation, Motivation, Research and Development | Comments (1)